Written Answers Wednesday 12 September 2007

Scottish Executive

Access for Disabled People

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what proportion of socially rented homes are equipped with wheelchair access in each local authority area.

Stewart Maxwell: The table presents the most recent available figures for the number of dwellings in the social rented sector classified as wheelchair housing. Figures for 2007 will be published in November 2007.

  Social Sector Housing Stock Classified as Wheelchair Housing: as at 31 March 2006

  

Scotland
6,901 


Aberdeen City
157 


Aberdeenshire
681 


Angus
79 


Argyll and Bute
456 


Clackmannanshire
120 


Dumfries and Galloway
28 


Dundee City
321 


East Ayrshire
270 


East Dunbartonshire
42 


East Lothian
48 


East Renfrewshire
51 


Edinburgh, City of
741 


Eilean Siar
38 


Falkirk
94 


Fife
374 


Glasgow City
555 


Highland
207 


Inverclyde
118 


Midlothian
82 


Moray
43 


North Ayrshire
101 


North Lanarkshire
190 


Orkney
46 


Perth and Kinross
265 


Renfrewshire
246 


Scottish Borders, The
157 


Shetland
17 


South Ayrshire
72 


South Lanarkshire
880 


Stirling
137 


West Dunbartonshire
135 


West Lothian
150 



  Source: S1B returns by local authorities to the Scottish Government Housing and Regeneration Directorate: Communities Analytical Services (Housing Statistics). Housing association data are provided by Communities Scotland from the Annual Peformance and Statistical Return.

  Notes:

  1. For housing association stock, sheltered housing which is wheelchair adapted is not identified separately from other types of sheltered housing and is therefore not included in this table.

  2. Figures may include estimates due to missing returns or provided by local authorities.

  Figures for public sector dwellings as at 31 March 2006 are published in the statistical bulletin Housing trends in Scotland: quarter ending 31 March 2006 (HSG/2006/5, Table 14). This is available online at:  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/Publications.

  Figures for housing association dwellings as at 31 March 2006 are published in Scottish registered social landlord statistics 2005/06 (Table 21). This is available online at: http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_017838.pdf.

Audiology

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the audiology waiting time figures for each NHS board will be published.

Shona Robison: Work is taking place with Information Services Division of National Services Scotland to gather and validate the necessary data. Audiology waiting time information will be published in the near future once this is completed.

Biodiversity

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Biodiversity Forum Implementation Plan will be finalised.

Michael Russell: I understand that the Scottish Biodiversity Forum Implementation Plan for 2008-10 is expected to be finalised early in 2008. Consultation on the draft implementation plan and the environmental report relating to the strategic environmental assessment of the implementation plan is planned to take place between November 2007 and January 2008.

Birds

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to alleviate the damage caused and financial burden placed on farmers and crofters by increasing numbers of wild geese on the Isle of Tiree.

Michael Russell: Support is available to farmers and crofters from the Tiree and Coll local goose management scheme. Expenditure under the scheme in financial year 2006-07 amounted to £28,605.

  Farmers and crofters on Tiree are able to apply for licenses from their local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate office to take geese during the closed season in order to prevent serious agricultural damage.

Burial and Cremation

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1239 by John Swinney on 13 July 2007, whether there is a mechanism for local authorities to apply for specific funding for burial facilities such as crematoria and, if so, which local authorities have applied for such funding in each year since 1999.

John Swinney: There is no separate mechanism for local authorities to apply for specific funding. The Scottish Government provides general financial support for Scotland’s local authorities’ core services, including burial grounds and crematoria, but it is the responsibility of each individual local authority to allocate its total resources, including the locally collected council tax, on the basis of local needs and priorities.

  In 2007-08, the core local government funding provided by the Scottish Government will amount to over £8.7 billion.

Burial and Cremation

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many crematoria there are in Scotland; where these are located, and when they became operational.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cremations there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by crematorium and expressed also as a percentage of deaths in each year.

John Swinney: This information is not held centrally.

Communities

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was provided to agencies in Dumfries and Galloway from the Community Regeneration Programme in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07 and how much will be provided in 2007-08.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Over 2005-08 Dumfries and Galloway Community Planning Partnership has been allocated the following resources from the Community Regeneration Fund to support the delivery of its Regeneration Outcome Agreement:

  2005-06 £675,000

  2006-07 £613,000

  2007-08 £641,000

  Total £1,929,000.

Constitution

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a budget has been set for the national conversation on the draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it cost to print and distribute Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation .

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost to run the national conversation set out in Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation .

Nicola Sturgeon: The cost of producing and translating the document is around £35,000 (including the web version, the design, printing and the summary in eight languages and a full Gaelic version). Distribution of the document cost a further £5,000, and the cost of the launch event was £8,000. The total cost of launching the national conversation to date is therefore £48,000.

  The costs of carrying out the conversation will depend on how its structure develops, in light of responses from the people of Scotland as to how they wish to be involved. The work is being carried out within existing resources from the government’s constitutional policy and communications teams.

Constitution

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many events have been planned around Scotland to promote its white paper, Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation .

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public meetings it has planned for the First Minister to hear and exchange views from the public on its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public meetings it has planned for ministers to hear and exchange views from the public on its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many events involving political and civic leaders, business people and public servants, academics and teachers it has planned to hear and exchange views on its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future; where such events will take place; how it will encourage attendance, and over what timescale the events will take place.

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many events targeted at local communities, young people and minority groups it expects to hold to hear and exchange views on its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future; how it defines "local" in this context, and how it will ensure that groups are representative of such communities.

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many opinion surveys it intends to carry out for its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future; who will be surveyed; who will carry out the surveys; how many people will be surveyed, and over what timescale.

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many focus groups and citizens’ panels it intends to host for its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future; who will chair them; where it expects to hold them, and over what timescale.

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will determine which organisations, communities and individuals who wish to host their own events on the national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future will be supported to do so.

Nicola Sturgeon: The white paper invites people to sign up for the national conversation, and indicate how they wish to contribute. The paper also invites people to suggest how the conversation would best be structured to ensure the greatest possible involvement of the people of Scotland. The exact form of the national conversation will depend on the responses received, but the government is determined to support a conversation that ensures that all sectors of Scottish society have the opportunity to contribute.

Constitution

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how responses to its white paper, Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation , will be collated.

Nicola Sturgeon: Responses made on the National Conversation website are available there. Other responses to the conversation will be collated and made available as the conversation progresses.

Constitution

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will proceed with the Referendum (Scotland) Bill if there is a low level of public support for the proposals in its white paper, Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation .

Nicola Sturgeon: The government will consider the response to the national conversation in deciding how to proceed with the draft bill. However, the level of support for any particular proposals could be only properly determined by a vote in a referendum.

Constitution

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the proposed Referendum (Scotland) Bill will be brought before the Parliament.

Nicola Sturgeon: The government is committed to building support for a referendum on negotiations for independence in the lifetime of this Parliament, but decisions on this will be made in the light of the national conversation.

Constitution

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has (a) sought and (b) received on the legislative competence of the proposed Referendum (Scotland) Bill.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice it has taken from the Scottish law officers in relation to the competence of the Executive to hold a referendum as detailed in the national conversation white paper.

Nicola Sturgeon: The practice of successive governments, reflected in the Scottish Ministerial Code and the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, is that the fact and content of legal advice is not revealed. We consider it entirely proper for the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament to discuss the constitutional future of Scotland, and invite the people of Scotland to express their views.

  Choosing Scotland’s Future says (at paragraph 5.11 and paragraph 3 on page 35), that as far as legislative competence is concerned, a referendum could be held under the authority of an act of the Scottish Parliament, depending on the precise proposition in the referendum bill, or any adjustments made to the competence of the Parliament before the bill is introduced.

Constitution

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will measure whether its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future has been a success.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its objectives are in conducting its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Nicola Sturgeon: The government aims to build support for a referendum in the lifetime of this Parliament. The government also aims for widespread participation by the people of Scotland in the national conversation to discuss, and decide, the future of our country.

Constitution

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans that the national conversation described in Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation will end.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is envisaged that the outcome of the national conversation described in Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation will be reported to the Parliament.

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive over what timescale its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future will take place.

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will draw conclusions from its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the conclusions from its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Nicola Sturgeon: The government will report to Parliament in due course.

Constitution

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory instruments it envisages will be necessary under paragraph 11(1) of Schedule 2 to the draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill.

Nicola Sturgeon: The draft bill illustrates the form that legislation could take to provide for a referendum for the question posed. The government has not considered the detailed statutory instruments that might be made under the powers in the bill in the event of it passing into law. However, at a minimum a referendum would require provisions on the conduct of elections, form of ballot papers, and information to be returned to Scottish ministers similar to the provisions for the 1997 devolution referendum contained in Schedule 3 to the Referendums (Scotland and Wales) Act 1997 (c. 61).

Constitution

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which bodies or individuals were consulted in relation to developing Schedule 1 to the draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether advice was sought from the Electoral Commission concerning the intelligibility of the proposed referendum question in the draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill.

Nicola Sturgeon: The draft Bill was prepared within the Scottish Government for consultation as part of the national conversation.

Constitution

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of (a) preparing and (b) publishing Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation .

Nicola Sturgeon: Choosing Scotland’s Future was prepared by officials as part of their normal duties, and there was no additional cost. The cost of producing and translating the document is around £35,000 (including the web version, the design, printing and the summary in eight languages and a full Gaelic version). Distribution of the document cost a further £5,000, and the cost of the launch event was £8,000. The total cost of launching the national conversation to date is therefore £48,000.

Constitution

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff hours were spent on preparing Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation .

Nicola Sturgeon: A number of officials were involved in preparing Choosing Scotland’s Future as part of their normal duties. Information on the number of staff hours spent on preparing the document is not available.

Constitution

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost will be to it of preparing the draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill.

Nicola Sturgeon: There was no additional cost to the government in preparing the draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill. The bill was prepared by Scottish Government officials as part of their normal duties.

Constitution

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost will be to it of conducting a referendum under the provisions of the draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill and whether it will itemise this expenditure.

Nicola Sturgeon: The 1997 devolution referendum would cost around £6.5 million in 2007 prices. As the provisions of the draft Referendum (Scotland) Bill are similar, the cost is likely also to be similar.

Constitution

Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the statement in section 4.5 of Choosing Scotland’s Future: a National Conversation, "the trend in the United Kingdom is likely to be for greater devolution from the United Kingdom Government", to be wholly accurate in light of the narrow margin of victory in the referendum on Welsh devolution in 1997 and the significant rejection of plans for a regional assembly in the north-east of England in the referendum in 2004.

Nicola Sturgeon: This sentence reflects the Scottish Government’s view which is based on the other evidence cited in the paragraph: the new Government of Wales Act 2006; the re-establishment of devolved government in Northern Ireland, and the result of the Scottish parliamentary elections this year, in which the majority of members of the new Scottish Parliament stood for parties favouring further development of the devolution settlement.

Constitution

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what methods it will use to determine the conclusions from its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Nicola Sturgeon: The outcome of the national conversation will be considered by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the people of Scotland.

Constitution

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive who will determine the conclusions from its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Nicola Sturgeon: The outcome of the national conversation will ultimately be decided by the people of Scotland.

Constitution

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what budget has been allocated to carrying out its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Nicola Sturgeon: The cost of producing and translating the document is around £35,000 (including the web version, the design, printing and the summary in eight languages and a full Gaelic version). Distribution of the document cost a further £5,000, and the cost of the launch event was £8,000. The total cost of launching the national conversation to date is therefore £48,000.

  The costs of carrying out the conversation will depend on how its structure develops, in light of responses from the people of Scotland as to how they wish to be involved. The work is being carried out within existing resources from the government’s constitutional policy and communications teams.

Constitution

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to carry out or publish any research to support its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Nicola Sturgeon: The exact form of the national conversation including any supporting research will depend on the responses received, but the government is determined to support a conversation that ensures that all sectors of Scottish society have the opportunity to contribute.

Constitution

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what web-based information and interactive facilities will be available for its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Nicola Sturgeon: The government website www.anationalconversation.com provides a range of up-to-date information about the progress of the national conversation. It includes down-loadable versions of the white paper, with summaries in eight languages; information about how to join in the conversation; video and text of the First Minister’s launch of the white paper, and a blog page with contributions from ministers This page allows people to submit their contribution to the page, and to e-mail their responses to the government.

Constitution

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make summaries of events, meetings, surveys and other related information publicly available during the course of its national conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Nicola Sturgeon: Yes.

Constitution

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate considers that the Bill published as Annex B to the White Paper, Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Consultation , is within the legislative competence of the Parliament, in light of the decision of the Court of Session in Whaley v Watson 2000 S.C. 340.

Nicola Sturgeon: The practice of successive governments, reflected in the Scottish Ministerial Code and the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, is that the fact and content of legal advice is not revealed.

Defence

Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to section 3.23 of Choosing Scotland’s Future: a National Conversation , whether it supports Scottish membership of NATO.

Linda Fabiani: An independent Scottish Government would inherit treaty obligations entered into on behalf of Scotland, including those to the European Union and NATO.

  This government is committed to defence co-operation including the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program of NATO, and like Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Austria not to full NATO membership

Defence

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with ministers at the Ministry of Defence anent the treatment and care of service personnel wounded or injured recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government, NHS Scotland and the Ministry of Defence have regular contact on treatment and rehabilitation issues. However, there have been no recent discussions with ministers at the Ministry of Defence.

Defence

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether information is now to hand anent the number of wounded service personnel treated in Scottish hospitals following their evacuation from Iraq or Afghanistan.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.

Defence

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with representatives of the Ministry of Defence, NHS Scotland, COSLA and other appropriate organisations anent the treatment, rehabilitation and rehousing of service personnel severely wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Nicola Sturgeon: There have been no specific discussions on these issues. However, the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland and the Ministry of Defence have regular contact on treatment and rehabilitation issues.

Defence

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with representatives of the Ministry of Defence and NHS Scotland anent the recruitment of medical specialists and ancillary staff who have the most appropriate medical skills to treat service personnel who have suffered serious wounds in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Nicola Sturgeon: There have been no recent discussions with representatives of the Ministry of Defence and NHSScotland on this issue.

Defence

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with the appropriate voluntary organisations and COSLA anent the provision of assistance and care for the families of service personnel killed in Iraq or Afghanistan where such help has been sought.

Nicola Sturgeon: A range of services are available to bereaved families and loved ones, including provision by mainstream social work services, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and veterans’ charities and organisations. The Scottish Government will continue to liaise closely with the MoD and Scotland’s veterans’ organisations to look at how best we meet the needs of our veterans’ community. One way we achieve this is through chairing the Veterans’ Programme Scotland (VPS) Steering Group which includes representatives from MoD and the major Scottish veterans’ charities.

  In fully recognising these many needs faced by Scotland’s veterans, the Scottish Government welcomes any opportunity to discuss how best they can be met. To this end, Stewart Maxwell, Minister for Communities and Sport, has recently written to Ron Smith, Chairman of Veterans Scotland, offering a meeting with him and his colleagues.

Defence

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has sought from the Ministry of Defence anent the treatment, care, rehabilitation and rehousing of service personnel discharged from the armed services as a result of wounds and injuries suffered in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has not sought funding from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in relation to the treatment, care, rehabilitation and re-housing of service personnel discharged from the armed forces as a result of wounds or injuries suffered in Iraq or Afghanistan.

  The Scottish Government has, however, provided funding in recent years to Combat Stress in respect of its Hollybush House facility in Ayrshire. Moreover, the Scottish Government continues to liaise closely with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Scotland’s veterans organisations to establish how best the many needs faced by Scotland’s veterans can be met.

Dentistry

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S3O-102 by Shona Robison on 7 June 2007, whether it has discussed its commitment to open a dental school in Aberdeen with the British Dental Association and what conclusions any such discussions have reached.

Shona Robison: The establishment of the new dental school will be discussed with the British Dental Association at my forthcoming meeting with them.

Deprivation

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what new initiatives it has considered for tackling deprivation in West Dunbartonshire.

Mr Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is considering its approach to tackling deprivation across Scotland in the context of the spending review. Specific measures which will make a positive contribution, such as health checks in schools and piloting free school meals for all primary 1 to 3 children, were set out in our Programme for Scotland: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/09/05093403/0 .

  We will make further announcements in due course.

Deprivation

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether future funding for tackling deprivation in West Dunbartonshire will represent a real terms increase or decrease.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government will decide on future funding for tackling deprivation as part of the spending review process.

Domestic Abuse

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent between May and July 2007 on publicising its campaign against domestic abuse.

Stewart Maxwell: There has been no expenditure on the domestic abuse campaign for the period 1 May 2007 to 31 July 2007 as it is currently in the planning and development stage.

  However, valid comparisons cannot be made over quarterly periods as expenditure is based upon bursts of activity, the invoice date and when the payment is released.

Domestic Abuse

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much is proposed to be spent between August and December 2007 on its campaign against domestic abuse.

Stewart Maxwell: We are currently in the planning and development stage for the domestic abuse campaign. It is not possible at this stage of the process to give an indication of proposed spend.

  However, valid comparisons cannot be made over quarterly periods as expenditure is based upon bursts of activity, the invoice date and when the payment is released.

Domestic Abuse

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent between August and December 2006 on publicising the previous administration’s campaign against domestic abuse.

Stewart Maxwell: The domestic abuse campaign spend for the period 1 August 2006 to 31 December 2006 was £56,039 gross.

  However, valid comparisons cannot be made over quarterly periods as expenditure is based upon bursts of activity, the invoice date and when the payment is released.

Drug Misuse

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the review of projects funded through the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives is due to be completed and when projects seeking continued funding will be advised of the outcome of the review.

Shona Robison: The review of the Scotland Against Drugs Pilot drug projects commissioned by the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives (SCHWL) is in its final stages and is due to be completed during September. The review will be published and projects seeking continued funding will be advised of its findings as soon as possible thereafter.

Dyslexia

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether procedures for the identification of dyslexia are uniform across Scotland.

Adam Ingram: Dyslexia is a complex learning difficulty affecting individuals in different ways and to varying degrees. Procedures for the identification of dyslexia are, therefore, not uniform across Scotland.

  However, schools and teachers have access to a range of screening tools and assessment packages to aid the early identification of dyslexia. This should ensure that the most appropriate learning and support strategy can be put in place to best meet the needs of each individual child.

  There are also a number of screening tools and assessment packages available to aid the identification of, and support for, adults with dyslexia.

Efficient Government

Tom McCabe (Hamilton South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs will be cut as a result of its plans for smaller government.

John Swinney: As I said during the Approach to Government debate on 24 May 2007 any review of government structures would not be predicated on compulsory job losses. It is likely that there will be changes in what people do in their jobs to focus on delivering quality services.

Efficient Government

Tom McCabe (Hamilton South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings it anticipates will be made as a result of streamlining measures which are either planned or have already been undertaken since May 2007.

John Swinney: We have already reduced the number of Government Departments and Scottish Ministers. The associated savings and their sources were set out in the answer to question S3W-3968 on 11 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  We are also developing an outcome approach for local government and establishing clarity in the roles of agencies and non departmental public bodies.

  Our aim is for a simpler, smaller government which removes unnecessary duplication and establishes structures that can support and drive the delivery of quality public services.

  We will provide Parliament with further details on the financial and other implications of our approach.

Efficient Government

Tom McCabe (Hamilton South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific measures and decisions it has implemented since May 2007 in an attempt to streamline government.

John Swinney: We have already reduced the number of government departments and Scottish ministers to align with collective responsibility for achieving this government’s purpose and five strategic objectives. We are taking forward our manifesto commitments in this area, including clarifying the roles and responsibilities of agencies and non departmental public bodies. The development of an outcome approach for national and local government will be crucial elements of this approach.

  We will provide Parliament with further details on the detailed implications of our approach.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive why Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme criteria are used for forage definitions when assessing applications to the Organic Aid Scheme when Integrated Administration and Control System land classifications are used for the assessment of Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme, Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme and Rural Stewardship Scheme applications and for previous Organic Aid Scheme applications.

Michael Russell: Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme (SFGS) criteria have not been used to assess or determine eligibility of forage definitions for applications under the Organic Aid Scheme (OAS). The definitions for forage have been in place for over ten years in connection with the OAS.

Environment

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to designate Campbeltown Loch as recreational water.

Michael Russell: We have no such plans. The Scottish Government does not designate sites as recreational waters.

Health

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected (a) health, (b) economic and (c) wider societal costs are arising from the treatment of chronic illness and disability due to (i) diabetes, (ii) heart disease, (c) arthritis and (d) other obesity-related conditions in each year until 2010, broken down by NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The data needed to calculate these costs are not held centrally.

Health

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has in place to reduce the incidence of diseases of the digestive system in West Dunbartonshire to the Scottish average or below.

Nicola Sturgeon: Poor nutritional intake and low levels of physical activity can have an impact on the incidence of diseases of the digestive system. Tackling these in West Dunbartonshire is a matter for the Community Health Partnership (CHP) in the first instance.

  A number of measures either already exist or are being developed by the CHP to tackle these issues, as follows:

  the CHP makes a substantial contribution to the provision of free fruit in schools for all primary school children, and offers a range of services to individuals, providing a range of specialist advice and support around nutritional issues, and

  a number of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde initiatives are currently being rolled out in West Dunbartonshire, including Shape Up (a diet and exercise programme) and Eat Up (an eating programme specifically targeted at heart health).

  Through the Keep Well initiative, a community food worker is being appointed to target the hardest-to-reach groups and offer opportunities to develop practical skills in cooking and shopping for healthy foods.

Health

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what practical measures it will take to reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction in West Dunbartonshire to the Scottish average or below.

Nicola Sturgeon: Data on the incidence of acute myocardial infarction at council level area are produced by Information Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland and can be viewed at: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/oct06_IC4.xls .

  These data will be updated in October 2007.

  The West Dunbartonshire Community Health Partnership is instituting a number of measures to address inequalities both in the short and long-term to reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction in its population, many of them linked to its status as a Wave 2 Keep Well area.

Health

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has in place to reduce the incidence of strokes in West Dunbartonshire.

Nicola Sturgeon: The West Dunbartonshire Community Health Partnership is instituting a number of measures, in both the short and long term, to reduce the incidence of stroke in its population, many of them linked to its status as a Wave 2 Keep Well area. These include a range of secondary prevention services to support patients who have had a stroke, in order to reduce the risk of a further stroke.

Health

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce the incidence of cancer in West Dunbartonshire to the Scottish average or below and what the cost of any additional measures will be.

Nicola Sturgeon: The increasing incidence of cancer across Scotland was predicted in Cancer Scenarios,  published by the Scottish Executive in 2001. While incidence is rising, but not as rapidly as predicted in 2001, at the same time the death rate from cancer is going down. This means that more and more people are surviving after cancer. Currently, the indications are that we will meet the 2010 target of a 20 per cent reduction in the cancer mortality rate in the under-75s. Figures show that since 1995 the rate has decreased by 18.1 per cent.

  The Scottish Cancer Strategy, Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change, which is currently being updated, is a wide ranging plan to help control the burden of cancer in Scotland. As well as delivering more than 300 additional doctors, nurses and other health professionals and significant improvements in radiotherapy and other equipment and related services across all NHS boards, the plan was underpinned by a health improvement strategy which has most recently seen the roll-out of Keep Well projects in targeted areas across the country. In addition, when taken together the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces, information and education on prevention including lifestyle issues; developing smoking cessation services, changing cultural attitudes to alcohol consumption and providing better alternatives for people represent a comprehensive approach aimed at improving health across the board.

  It was announced in February 2007 that West Dunbartonshire will be one of the Community Health Partnerships involved in Wave 2 of the Keep Well Programme. It is proposed that Glasgow and Clyde will be receiving £5 million over a two year period to implement this and West Dunbartonshire will receive a proportion of this allocation. The aim of the Keep Well programme is to increase the rate of health improvement (ages 45 to 64 years) with particular focus on early intervention by enhancing primary care services in deprived communities to deliver anticipatory care. Health checks are therefore initially targeted at people with the highest risk of preventable ill-health.

  As a first step this aim will be achieved through a risk assessment carried out by a health care practitioner at a patient Keep Well Health Check. Based on assessed need a range of NHS and non-NHS treatments, services and supports are provided thereafter. This may include interventions such as drug therapy, healthy eating advice, physical activity classes, smoking cessation support, alcohol interventions, benefits advice and assistance in gaining employment. The outcomes of these interventions such as smoking cessation may help to reduce the incidence of cancer.

Health

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has in place to reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease in West Dunbartonshire to the Scottish average or below.

Nicola Sturgeon: Data on the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) at council level area are produced by Information Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland and can be viewed at: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/oct06_IC3.xls .

  These data will be updated in October 2007.

  The West Dunbartonshire Community Health Partnership is instituting a number of measures, in both the short and long term, to reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction in its population, many of them linked to its status as a Wave 2 "Keep Well" area.

Health

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve local primary care in (a) Clydebank and (b) Bearsden and Milngavie.

Shona Robison: The planning and provision of primary and community based healthcare services in Clydebank, Bearsden and Milngavie is a matter for the East and West Dunbartonshire Community Health Partnerships (CHPs) within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

  Each CHP in Scotland should have in place a local delivery and development plan which it would have agreed with its NHS board. This would have been based on an assessment of local need and include local priorities for action together with plans for service improvement to support these priorities.

  CHPs have delegated responsibility and resources from their NHS board for all primary and community based health care services and are therefore accountable to their NHS board on how these resources are used and the services provided.

Health

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve local community services in (a) Clydebank and (b) Bearsden and Milngavie.

Shona Robison: The planning and provision of primary and community based health care services in Clydebank, Bearsden and Milngavie is a matter for the East and West Dunbartonshire Community Health Partnerships (CHPs) within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

  Each CHP in Scotland should have in place a local delivery and development plan which it would have agreed with its NHS board. This would have been based on an assessment of local need and include local priorities for action together with plans for service improvement to support these priorities.

  CHPs have delegated responsibility and resources from their NHS board for all primary and community based health care services and are therefore accountable to their NHS board on how these resources are used and the services provided.

Health

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions there were due to heart disease in each year since 2003, broken down into admissions due to (a) atherosclerosis, (b) angina, (c) myocardial infarction, (d) heart failure and (e) arrhythmia, in each NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The table, which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 43591) shows numbers of discharges with primary diagnoses of: heart disease, angina, myocardial infarction, heart failure or arrhythmia by NHS board of residence for the years ended 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2006.

  Atherosclerosis cannot be shown explicitly because it is often the underlying cause of the above conditions, as well as the cause of other conditions such as peripheral vascular disease and thrombotic strokes, and it may not be mentioned specifically in hospital discharge summaries. Variation in recording of atherosclerosis may result in a misleading indication of the numbers of such hospitalisations.

Health

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected trend is for coronary heart disease for (a) the total population and (b) people over 65 for each year up to 2025, broken down by NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: These data are not held centrally but information on mortality trends for the under-75s can be accessed at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/oct06_MC2.xls .

Health

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected number is of people with coronary heart disease aged (a) 16 to 24, (b) 25 to 34, (c) 35 to 44, (d) 45 to 54, (e) 55 to 64, (f) 65 to 74 and (g) 75 and over in each year up to 2025, broken down by NHS board area.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost to the NHS of coronary heart disease has been in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: These data are not held centrally.

Health

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total number and cost was of coronary heart disease-related (a) discharges and (b) procedures in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board and shown also as a percentage of discharges and procedures in each case.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the costs of treating specific conditions or diseases is not available centrally.

  Information on (a) the numbers/percentage of discharges with primary diagnoses related to coronary heart disease and (b) the numbers/percentage of diagnostic or therapeutic operations/procedures performed on these patients is presented in Tables 1 and 2, which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 43592 and 43593 respectively) for the years ended 31 March 1999 – 31 March 2006 by NHS board of residence.

Health

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS podiatry patients have been treated in (a) the community and (b) hospital in each of the last five years, broken down by age group.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS podiatry patients have been treated in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) NHS board area and (b) age group.

Shona Robison: Information on the work of Allied Health Professionals (AHP) is not collected in sufficient detail to answer this specific question on podiatry services. However, NHSScotland Information Services Division has recently undertaken a census of AHP workload, the results of which are published at:  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/data-development-dev-info.jsp?pContentID=1359&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show& .

  The results of the census include figures for podiatrists and chiropodists combined.

Health

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase patients’ access to NHS podiatry and chiropody services.

Shona Robison: Each NHS board is responsible for the planning and provision of NHS podiatry services in its area, based on an assessment of local need and in accordance with local and national priorities. Access to NHS podiatry services is a matter of clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

Health

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what national evidence-based practice protocols there are to ensure that patients requiring (a) basic foot care, including advice, and (b) podiatry care receive such services.

Shona Robison: NHS boards are required to ensure that the services they provide meet the standards set for the NHS. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has responsibility for this area and published standards for NHSScotland are available at www.nhshealthquality.org .

  In addition podiatrists providing NHS services are required to meet standards set by professional and regulatory bodies. The Health Professions Council provides information on existing standards for podiatrists at  www.hpc-uk.org/publications/standards/Standards_of_Proficiency_Chiropodists.pdf, and further information is available from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists at www.feetforlife.org.

  Each NHS board is responsible for the planning and provision of NHS podiatry services in its area, based on an assessment of local need and in accordance with local and national priorities. Access to NHS podiatry services is a matter of clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

  In addition, Scotland’s Free Personal Care policy provides people with support with daily tasks, including basic toe nail cutting which can be undertaken without the intervention of an NHS health care professional.

Health

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has of any local and regional variations in the provision of chiropody and podiatry treatment by the NHS.

Shona Robison: Each NHS board is responsible for the planning and provision of NHS podiatry services in its area, based on an assessment of local need and in accordance with local and national priorities. Access to NHS podiatry services is a matter of clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

  Information on the work of Allied Health Professionals (AHP) is not collected in sufficient detail to answer this specific question on podiatry services. However, NHSScotland Information Services Division have recently undertaken a census of AHP workload, the results of which are published at:  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/data-development-dev-info.jsp?pContentID=1359&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.

  The report includes figures for podiatrists and chiropodists combined.

Health

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to issue guidance on the minimum level of chiropody and podiatry services which should be available to patients on the NHS.

Shona Robison: It is the responsibility of NHS boards to determine the number and skill mix of staff needed to deliver services in their area. Each NHS board is responsible for the planning and provision of NHS podiatry services in its area, based on an assessment of local need and in accordance with local and national priorities.

Higher Education

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its decision to abolish the graduate endowment scheme, how it will fund university access funds and whether it will ensure that the level of funding is maintained in line with student numbers and inflation.

Fiona Hyslop: Access funds in higher education are now known as Discretionary Funds, and are funds intended to provide non-repayable assistance for students in financial difficulties in order for them to access and/or continue in higher education and are paid in addition to any other forms of student support. They are distributed to institutions to disburse at their discretion.

  The abolition of the graduate endowment will have no impact on Discretionary Funds as they are not directly related. This means that the Discretionary Funds will continue as normal in future years. The level of funding available each year is continually monitored, with the total budget available in academic year 2007-08 being £14.7 million, an increase which was in line with inflation.

Higher Education

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a rebate on visa fees for international students to attract them to study in Scotland.

Fiona Hyslop: This is currently a reserved matter for the UK Government.

Housing

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many areas have been classified as pressurised housing areas in each year since 2002, broken down by local authority area.

Stewart Maxwell: There were no applications for pressured area designations between 2002 and 2004. The following areas and neighbourhoods have been designated as Right to Buy pressured areas by Scottish ministers:

  

Year
Council
Pressured Areas*


2005
East Renfrewshire
14 Ward Areas


2005
Highland
9 Areas


2006
South Ayrshire
29 Lettings Areas


2006
Moray
2 Settlements1 Housing Management Area


2006
Fife
24 Lettings Areas


2006
Dumfries and Galloway
69 Villages 


2007
Perth and Kinross
21 Lettings Areas


2007
Fife
13 Lettings Areas


2007
Aberdeen City
35 Lettings Areas



  Note: *The 2001 act allows local authorities to propose the designation of any part of their area in which the specified criteria are met. In practice, local authorities have taken a number of different approaches to reflect the circumstances in their areas. However, their proposals should aim to identify recognised localities or neighbourhoods, for example a housing letting area, that would be familiar to both the tenant and the landlord.

Housing

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a mandatory national tenant deposit scheme for private landlords and tenants, on similar lines to the scheme introduced in April 2007 in England and Wales.

Stewart Maxwell: Provisions in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 give ministers the power to introduce a mandatory tenancy deposit scheme in Scotland. A working group of stakeholders representing the interests of private landlords and tenants has agreed that further work should be carried out to develop an evidence base on the scale of the problem of unfairly withheld deposits in order to consider whether a mandatory scheme is needed in Scotland.

  The Scottish Government is therefore planning to carry out detailed surveys of both tenants and landlords to gather this evidence. An audit of current good practice is also being undertaken to consider whether further improvements to existing practice, such as training for landlords and advice available to tenants, could be encouraged without the need for a mandatory scheme. In addition, it will be important to consider the impact of recent initiatives to improve standards in the private rented sector, such as the mandatory landlord registration scheme and the forthcoming national voluntary landlord accreditation scheme. Over time, these schemes should help to tackle any landlords or letting agents who are found to have unfairly withheld their tenants’ deposits.

Housing

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how registered social landlords that are also registered charities can provide Homestake and other low-cost housing.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland has advised all registered social landlords that the agency would be prepared to provide Homestake funding through a wholly owned non-charitable subsidiary of the registered social landlord if any charitable registered social landlord has concerns about the impact on its charitable status. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator has raised the issue of charitable status and Homestake and other low-cost housing for sale with Communities Scotland and we are in discussion about this.

Housing

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations have been received from the families of service personnel wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and from voluntary organisations representing their interests in relation to the rehabilitation, rehousing, welfare and employment and other related needs of these veterans.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government have not received any recent representations on these issues either from families of service personnel or representative organisations in relation to the needs of service personnel wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.

  The Scottish Government, however, continues to liaise closely with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Scotland’s veterans organisations. Scottish Government officials chair the Veterans’ Programme Scotland (VPS) Steering Group which brings together representatives from MoD and the major Scottish veterans’ charities. The Veterans’ Programme Scotland is the programme of activities that the MoD plans to undertake in relation to veterans in Scotland which also takes account of differences in Scottish legislation and structures. Ownership of and responsibility for achieving the programme lies with the MoD.

  The role of the steering group is to investigate ways in which the specific welfare, health, housing and employment needs of veterans in Scotland can be met, both within mainstream services and veteran-specific services.

International Development

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what grants have been made from the Humanitarian Health Fund since its inception.

Linda Fabiani: There have been two funding rounds for the Humanitarian Health Fund and a call for applications for the 3rd round closed 17 August 2007. A review panel for this round will be held on 6 September.

  So far the amount disbursed totals £91,459.70. First round grants awarded amounted to £40,171.70. 2nd round grants awarded amounted to £51,288.00.

  The following is a summary of the recipients for both rounds.

  Round One

  

Health Professional
Purpose
Area
Amount


Dr David Beattie GP, Newton Stewart
To provide skilled medical teaching support to the Malawi Essential Health Package Acute Respiratory childhood illness programme for all CHAM hospitals
Malawi 
Fund £3,000 


David Pitts Associate Director Leadership and Professional Development Centre, Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh
Design and deliver Training Trainers Courses to facilitate surgical training within MMED programme of the Malawi College of Medicine
Malawi 
Fund £5,000 


Dr Prem Sirisena (retired Consultant psychiatrist) Alloway
Psychosocial rehabilitation of affected population through central (urban) clinic and outreach (rural). Therapeutic sessions to orphaned children, widowed men and women, Project emerges from Sri Lankan Buddhist community living and working in Scotland.
Sri Lanka 
Fund £3,877


Prof David Weller University of Edinburgh Head of School Community Health
To develop primary care potential of existing health services in Malawi in order to deliver improved outcomes in chronic disease palliative care.
Malawi 
Fund £5,000


Linda McDonald(Nurse, Edinburgh New Royal Infirmary, Author of recipe book, MUM)
Develop the links between Bottom Hospital, Lilongwe and fundraising initiative in Scotland, reciprocal training around breast feeding for East Scotland.
Malawi 
Fund £2,160 


Prof David Dewhurst, Edinburgh University
Kick start the E-learning medical teaching resources initiative in three Malawian colleges
Malawi 
Fund £2,089


Gordon McPherson
Deliver appropriate nutrition and health learning to teachers and teacher trainers to increase knowledge of school pupils around gardening and food nutrition.
Malawi 
Fund £4,456 


Carole Morris, Senior Information Analyst NHS Lothian
Design and implement a management information system for the College of Medicine (COM)
Malawi 
Fund £2,965.70


Harry Bennett, Consultant Ophthalmologist Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion Edinburgh
Perform cataract surgery on 250 patients, strengthen teaching and training links with the ophthalmic units in semi rural areas of Ethiopia near Bahir.
Ethiopia 
Fund £5,000


Charles Tanner
Help establish, at local Government request, an NGO in the North Eastern earthquake affected mountainous area above Balakot to meet the direct needs of the people of this area.
Pakistan 
Fund £3,624


Paul Carnaghan GP Stranraer
Provide skilled medical teaching support to the Malawi Essential Health Package Acute Respiratory childhood illness programme for all CHAM hospitals.
Malawi 
Fund £3,000 



  Round Two

  

Health ProfessionalScottish Base and Links
Purpose
Area
Amount


Beverley Wellington Clinical Nurse Specialist (Ortho) / Honorary Lecturer (Uni of Paisley North Glasgow Hospitals and Caledonian university Beverley.Wellington@gvic.scot.nhs.uk
Provide clinical teaching in CURE Hospital, Blantyre and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital –Support the development of an arthroplasty service (joint replacement) at CURE Deliver an intensive 3 day orthopaedic nursing course 
Malawi 
Fund £1,150


Dr Johannes C Leuvennink, Consultant Psychiatrist, Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries Scottish Malawi Psychiatry Group (Consultants and Specialist Registrars from Dumfries and Galloway, Aberdeen, Lothian NHS Boards) JohanLeuvennink@doctors.org.uk
The Psychiatry Group will deliver through 5 week teaching blocks – Assistance in organising undergraduate psychiatry teaching and assessmentAssistance in teaching and assessment of undergraduate medical students in psychiatry in MalawiAfter implementation of the above, assessment of need for and, if appropriate, assistance in provision of updates and refresher courses to professionals working in Mental Health in Malawi, especially clinical officers and nursing staff.
Malawi 
Fund £4,950


Dr Catriona Connelly Consultant Anaesthetist, Ninewells Hospital and the Scottish Malawi Anaesthetist group 
The Anaesthetist Group will deliver essential refresher courses in anaesthesia for clinical officers who are often single practitioners carrying out all anaesthetic services on their own.  Tutorials on basic maternal physiology, complications of pregnancy, management of preeclampsia, post partum hemorrhage and sepsis, paediatric anaesthesia, (with focus on removal of foreign bodies and trauma)and morbidity and mortality meetings to identify areas where different management may have led to better outcomes for mothers. Start risk management training for COs. 
Malawi School of Anaesthesia for clinical officers (CO)
Fund £5,000


Richard Freeman Senior Lecturer School of Social and Political Studies, University of Edinburghrichardf@staffmail.ed.ac.uk
The development of a Public Health document outlining the mental health needs within Ethiopia the structures of the present and potential service deliverers, the policy frameworks presently guiding mental health delivery.the legislation underpinning mental health and the recommendations for the reform, and the practice implementation of services 
Ethiopia Amanuel Psychiatric Hospital 
Fund £4,750


Anne Thompson Acting Deputy Director Royal College of Nursing anne.thomson@rcn.org.uk 
Three visits from Royal College Senior Staff to work with the partnership organisation – the Nurse Association of Malawi (NAM) to identify how NAM can maximise its potential as a professional organization and trade union to achieve its goals
Malawi 
Fund £5,000


William Whitely Honorary Specialist Registrar in Neurology,Department of Clinical Neurosciences,Western General HospitalEdinburgh
Develop a robust neurological teaching programme in the College of Medicine – teach all undergraduate students neurology (no neurologist at present)Provide teaching for post graduate in the Dept of Medicine – focussing on HIV dementia, and general neurological problems, strokes, epilepsy,Provide a web based resource to help deliver teaching – ensure that all doctors and clinical officers are able to deal with the clinical neurology – improve the outcomes for patients especially those with epilepsy and ever increasing problem in Malawi.Develops a sustainable programme for epilepsy support and teaching both in the College of Medicine and in the College of Health Sciences
Malawi 
£5,000


Mona McAlpine Health visitor and school nurse NHS Shetland Mona lived in South Africa for 31 years 
Running a holiday camp for orphan and vulnerable children and children from families infected by HIV–providing teaching support around Support teachers and health workers (majority of whom have no young people’s health education training) in their heath education delivery –transfer skills learned from Scotland’s SHARE (sexual health education) programme 
South Africa Kwa Zulu Natal 
£1,100


Irene Gillies Health visitor, Aberdeenshire 
As above 
South Africa Kwa Zulu Natal 
£1,000


James Millar Chief Executive, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow 
Deliver support to the develop services for adults and children with disabilities in Malawi through performing essential Orthopaedic operations which Malawian staff at present are not able to perform Train surgical staff to carry out operations Increase the practical skills of rehabilitation assistants and technicians developed especially for cerebral palsy.Deliver lectures on cerebral palsy to paediatric medical staff in Blantyre, multidisciplinary training courses for staff of Malawi Against Physical disability MAP
Malawi 
£5,000


Dr John Gillies Associate Adviser in General Practice, Lister Institute, Edinburgh. Principal, Selkirk Health and the Scotland Malawi Primary Palliative Care Team 
Continue to improve the quality and scope of palliative care for patients with HIV and cancer throughout Malawi through running a series of training workshops,on site mentoring, reviewing and establishing resources for the five day training course, delivering support to the Malawi trainers to ensure a country wide spread of service delivery as requested by the Ministry of Health Malawi 
Malawi 
£5,000


Professor Frank Carey and the Scottish Pathology Network (SPAN – funded by the Scottish Executive) With participants from across all Scottish Boards 
Deliver the pathology component of the under graduate and post graduate educational programme in order to develop the diagnostic services throughout Malawi, especially for cancers.Contribute to the Laboratory technology BSc 
Malawi 
£5,000


Pete FalconerInformation Technology Manager, Lauder College, Fife 
Provide IT consultancy support to the head of the College of Medicine IT dept to enable the dept to develop a Student Management System – to work alongside another Scottish volunteer in developing the IT services. Deliver useful networking equipment to the College from Scottish colleges Establish a virtual learning environment and work with Zomba psychiatric hospital to establish e-learning systems to keep health professional staff connected and in touch with service provision and skills update 
Malawi College of Medicine and Zomba Hospital 
£3,390


Professor David AlexanderProfessor of Mental health, Aberdeen Consultant in the Aberdeen Centre for Trauma Research and key staff from Aberdeen University medical school
Provide specialist training in trauma related services, and support Pakistan in their planning of disaster response services. Speak at the International Conference on Disaster Management in Pakistan sharing experiences and pulling together good practice the team will make a major contribution to reshaping the mental health services in the Kasmiri region – with special emphasis on coping with trauma and preparation for further trauma. 
Department of Psychiatry in Rawalpindi, Pakistan 
£4,948

Justice

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on establishing a judicial inquiry into the Shirley McKie case.

Kenny MacAskill: Preparatory work is underway and as soon as I am in a position to do so I will make a full statement to Parliament.

Justice

Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the report of Lord Coulsfield’s review of the law and practice of disclosure in criminal proceedings.

Kenny MacAskill: I received Lord Coulsfield’s report and an executive summary last month, and have arranged for them to be published today on the Scottish Government website. The government is indebted to Lord Coulsfield for his careful analysis and recommendations. We will shortly publish a consultation paper to invite further views from anyone with an interest, which we will consider before deciding the way forward.

Justice

Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the sheriff court jurisdiction limits.

Kenny MacAskill: The Small Claims (Scotland) Amendment Order 2007 was laid in Parliament on 12 September 2007. It raises the small claims limit from £750 to £3,000 and provides that actions for personal injury are excluded from the category of actions which must be brought as a small claim. I recognise that the considerations are often different in personal injury cases where victims need legal support, for example to understand medical reports which are often needed. The small claims court is not suited to help those involved in personal injury litigation. It is in recognition of that fact that such cases will be removed from the small claims procedure.

  The order also amends the amount of expenses which the sheriff may award in a small claim where the value of the claim exceeds £200. The sheriff may now, where the value of the claim is £1,500 or less, award expenses up to £150. Where the value of the claim is greater than £1,500, the sheriff may award expenses up to 10% of the value of the claim. The order does not affect any small claim which was commenced prior to the order coming into force.

  We plan to present The Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (Privative Jurisdiction and Summary Cause) Order 2007 to the Privy Council at its next meeting on 10 October 2007. The order raises the limit of the privative (or exclusive) jurisdiction of the sheriff court and the limit of the summary cause from £1,500 to £5,000. The new limits do not apply to proceedings commenced before the order comes into force. The effect of this is that the ordinary cause rules will apply in cases of a value exceeding £5,000.

  The Orders will come into force on 14 January 2008.

Livestock

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1484 by Michael Russell on 24 July 2007, when it will make an announcement about future arrangements for the Bull Hire Scheme and whether this announcement will address concerns of crofters about the cost of the scheme to them.

Michael Russell: In a speech to the Scottish Crofting Foundation Annual Conference on 7 September 2007, I was able to confirm that bull hire arrangements will continue into 2008. The hire charges are unchanged from 2007.

  If the current management arrangements are to continue beyond 2008, a significant investment will be needed in new stud facilities to replace those presently available on the farms run by the Crofters Commission on the Scottish Government’s behalf. I have therefore asked the Crofters Commission to appraise the investment that would be required to modernise the stud operation facilities at Inverness.

  At the same time, I have asked the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting to provide advice on whether a scheme of the nature of the Crofters Cattle Quality Improvement Scheme might be the best way of spending money to achieve the vision for crofting on which it is reporting to ministers.

NHS Staff

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS staff have had to complete a job analysis questionnaire in each year since the outset of Agenda for Change, broken down by NHS board and health profession.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS staff have been evaluated as not matching any of the national job matching profiles, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) health profession.

Nicola Sturgeon: This level of detail is not held centrally. However, from information to hand I can confirm that in the region of 7% of the NHSScotland staff covered by Agenda for Change do not match to existing job profiles and therefore require to fill out a job analysis questionnaire as part of the assimilation process.

NHS Staff

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS staff are involved in operating and administering job matching panels, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally. The Agenda for Change system was agreed in partnership at a UK level between NHS employers, trades unions and professional organisations and the UK Health Departments. All sides recognise the benefits of the new system and the operation and administration of job matching panels is a matter which is addressed locally through NHS boards and staff-side representatives working in partnership.

NHS Staff

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time taken by NHS job matching panels is from receiving a job analysis questionnaire from NHS staff to evaluating individual staff members under the new Agenda for Change pay scale bandings.

Nicola Sturgeon: Job analysis questionnaires would not go to matching panels but rather to evaluation panels. Matching panels match job descriptions to national profiles. We do not collect data centrally on the time taken by either evaluation panels or matching panels. The Agenda for Change system was agreed in partnership at a UK level between NHS employers, trades unions and professional organisations and the UK Health Departments. All sides recognise the benefits of the new system and the operation of evaluation and matching panels is a matter which is addressed locally through NHS boards and staff-side representatives working in partnership.

NHS Staff

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how NHS job matching panels, established under Agenda for Change, are monitored and audited to ensure best value.

Nicola Sturgeon: Spend on job matching panels is not audited centrally. NHSScotland is committed to the introduction of Agenda for Change as quickly and efficiently as possible and it is for each NHS board to monitor each part of the process to ensure best value is achieved. In this regard, the Audit Committee Handbook provides guidance to NHS boards on good practice. It makes clear that boards should have internal controls established to give reasonable assurance that assets are safeguarded, waste and inefficiency is avoided, that reliable financial information is produced and that value for money is continuously sought.

NHS Staff

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it holds on the number of staff hours spent in NHS boards across Scotland (a) administering the Agenda for Change recommendations, (b) filling out job analysis questionnaires and (c) administering job matching panels in each year since 2004.

Nicola Sturgeon: This is not something on which work has been undertaken centrally. The Agenda for Change system was agreed in partnership at a UK level between NHS employers, trades unions and professional organisations and the UK health departments. All sides recognise the benefits of the new system and it is for NHS boards and staff-side representatives working in partnership locally to ensure that the implementation process is as quick and efficient as possible without sacrificing the integrity of the system.

NHS Staff

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the new banding grades under Agenda for Change, showing the comparative grades in each health profession and broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: It was the view of the Scottish Pay Reference and Implementation Group (SPRIG), the partnership group which oversaw the introduction of the new system, that an exercise to make available information about overall job evaluation outcomes across Scotland would only have real merit once the implementation process had been concluded. Whilst we are not in a position to present this data currently, I can confirm that this is actively being taken forward.

Older People

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve local services for older people in (a) Clydebank and (b) Bearsden and Milngavie.

Shona Robison: When I spoke at the Scottish Pensioner’s Forum Annual Conference in June, I set out my commitment to work with local agencies to improve services and support for older people, in particular for those in need. I have already confirmed that individual funding for free personal care will be uprated in line with inflation next April.

  When I met national organisations representing older people last month I confirmed our commitment to establish a National Forum on Ageing to ensure that older people have their views and concerns considered in how we improve national policy and local service delivery in all parts of Scotland.

Pre-School Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what capacity there is in the pre-school sector for pre-school places.

Adam Ingram: Overall capacity in the pre-school sector is not monitored on a national basis. Uptake of pre-school education places is reported annually through the Pre-school and Childcare Statistics. The current high-level of uptake suggests that there are no overall problems with capacity in the sector.

  The latest statistics are available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/09/13155926/0 and in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 40411).

  Planning of pre-school services at a local level is a matter for local authorities, who have a duty to provide every three and four-year-old with a pre-school education place. In order to do this effectively they must plan the provision of pre-school education to ensure that places are available in the areas where they are needed.

Quality of Life

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was provided to agencies in Dumfries and Galloway from the Quality of Life Initiative in 2006-07 and how much will be provided in 2007-08.

John Swinney: Dumfries and Galloway’s allocation under the Quality of Life fund for 2006-07 was £1.519 million. For the financial year 2007-08 the allocation is £1.517 million. The Quality of Life Fund has the scope for funding a wide range of initiatives that respond to local needs and priorities, though they must focus on two themes; that of improving community wellbeing and improving the local environment.

  Detailed information on Dumfries and Galloway’s decisions regarding its allocation of Quality of Life funding can be found on its website at:

  http://rpu.dumgal.gov.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/committee_minutes/014447.pdf.

Scottish Government Ministers

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings outwith Holyrood and Victoria Quay the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change has travelled to (a) on foot, (b) by car, (c) by air and (d) by other means.

John Swinney: The mode of transport by which ministers travel to and from ministerial engagements is not always recorded, unless required for business purposes. The information provided is as complete as our records allow.

  The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change has travelled by foot and by public transport when making the journey to and from a number of ministerial engagements in Edinburgh. He intends to continue to do this, on a regular basis, as and when business and his diary allows.

  As at 1 August 2007, the minister has made 59 journeys by car. This figure includes any private car hire and journeys where the car was shared with other ministers. He has made one journey by air.

Scottish Government Procurement

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who is organising the national procurement conference on 31 October 2007 at which the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth is speaking.

John Swinney: The National Procurement Conference, being held on the 31 October 2007 at the SECC in Glasgow, is being organised by the Scottish Procurement Directorate in conjunction with BiP Solutions Ltd.

Scottish Government Procurement

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its involvement is in organising the national procurement conference on 31 October 2007 at which the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth is speaking.

John Swinney: For the forthcoming National Public Procurement Conference, the Scottish Government is responsible for the event’s theme and content. BiP Solutions Ltd are providing event management services.

Scottish Water

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be made on Scottish Water’s applications (CAR/L/1000560 and CAR/L/1015528) for discharge into Campbeltown Loch.

Michael Russell: The determination of applications for licences under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 is a statutory duty of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). SEPA served notice on 31 August 2007 of SEPA’s proposed determination.

Scottish Water

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to any concerns of local residents in the Campbeltown Loch area who are opposed to the granting of Scottish Water’s applications (CAR/L/1000560 and CAR/L/1015528) for discharge into Campbeltown Loch.

Michael Russell: The determination of applications for licences under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 is a statutory duty of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

  As this process is now underway it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to prematurely offer comment on the concerns of local residents which Ministers may have to consider within a formal framework.

Smoking

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum fine is for those convicted of selling tobacco products to underage customers.

Shona Robison: The maximum fine for those convicted of selling tobacco to underage customers shall not exceed level 4 on the standard scale which currently equates to £2,500.

Smoking

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the penalty was for each conviction for the sale of tobacco products to underage customers since 2000.

Shona Robison: Proceedings were raised against six people for making underage tobacco sales between 2000 and 2005-06, one of whom was admonished. The fine levels imposed averaged £188, with a range from £75 to £300.

Smoking

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) verbal and (b) written warnings were issued by trading standards officers to establishments suspected of selling tobacco products to underage customers in each year since 2000, broken down by local authority area.

Shona Robison: Data on the number of (a) verbal and (b) written warnings issued by trading standards by local authority area is not held by the Scottish Government. However, we do hold information on the number of local authorities which issued warnings for underage tobacco sales from 2000 to 2006 and the available information is given in the following table.

  

Year/Period
Total Amount of Local Authorities that Issued Warnings
Amount of Local Authorities that Did Not Issue Warnings
Unknown


2000-01
23
9
0


2001-02
25
6
1


2002-03
26
5
1


2003-04
27
4
1


2004-05
24
5
3


2005-06
22
8
2



  Since 2006 the Scottish Government has been working with the Society for Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland in order to record the level of test purchasing for age restricted goods being undertaken by local authorities in Scotland. The data collected does not specifically include information on the number of warnings issued for underage tobacco sales and it is therefore not possible to give a figure for 2006-07.

Sport

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase participation in all sports.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is fully committed to working with the key delivery partners for sport in Scotland to achieve the two national outcomes of increasing participation and improving performance set out in Reaching Higher, the national strategy for sport.

Sport

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that sportsmen and sportswomen of all ages can be supported to achieve their full potential in competitive sports.

Stewart Maxwell: Sportscotland’s corporate plan 2007-11 sets out what is being done in the area of performance development to contribute to achieving the aims of Reaching Higher, the national strategy for sport in Scotland. The corporate plan, along with the business plan 2007-08, can be found on sportscotland’s website at the following links:

  Corporate Plan:  http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/ChannelNavigation/Resource+Library/Publications/Our+plan+2007+2011.htm.

  Business Plan: http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/ChannelNavigation/Resource+Library/Publications/sportscotland+Business+Plan+2007+2008.htm

  On 23 August 2007, as one of the Scottish Government’s manifesto commitments, I convened the Performance Sports Summit with sports stakeholders to discuss Scottish representation on the international sporting stage. The key discussion points taken, as well as the themes emerging in the plenary sessions, will be made available in due course.

Student Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid to Scotland as a Barnett Formula consequential of university top-up fees paid by students in England in each of the last four years and where these funds are allocated.

Fiona Hyslop: Barnett Formula consequentials are for "public" funding. There are no Barnett Formula consequentials for "private" funding. Since student top-up fees paid in England are "private" additional funding for universities there are no Barnett consequentials allocated to Scotland.

Student Finance

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the value is of student debt in Scotland.

Fiona Hyslop: The total outstanding student loan debt from Scottish borrowers at the 31 March 2007 was £1,953,784,457. This figure is made up of £1,845,726,000 of debt held by the Scottish Government and £108,058,457 of sold debt held by private sector institutions.

Young People

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to expand and build on the youth panels set up through the Big Lottery Fund.

Linda Fabiani: The youth panels established to take important funding decisions for the Big Lottery Fund’s Young People’s Fund have been a great success.

  Indeed, the Parliament has already congratulated the Big Lottery Fund on setting up the local panels of young people across Scotland and making real its commitment to involve young people at all stages of the Young People’s Fund.

  To ensure this momentum is not lost, Big Lottery Fund officials have been in discussion with Scottish Government officials about the panels. In addition, young people’s experience of participation in the Young People’s Fund has already been utilised in the distribution of funds attached to the Youth Work Strategy.

  The Scottish Government will be looking closely at the issue of young people’s participation and engagement and will seek to build on the success of the Young People’s Fund.